How to prune a potted orange tree

When to prune orange trees

Potted orange trees can generally be pruned in three time periods. The first time is shortly after the Spring Festival, leaving only short trunks and cutting off all old branches in the middle to promote the growth of new branches. The second time is in early April, and they need to be pruned again from late May to early June.

To propagate the pruned branches of potted orange trees, you need to select young branches as cuttings, cut them into 10 cm small sections, disinfect them, apply rooting powder, and then insert them into a loose, well-drained substrate.

Pruning potted orange trees

If it is a potted orange tree with many flowers, heavy pruning is required, combining thinning and shortening. Plants with few flowers only need light pruning, mainly thinning out some dense branches and weak branches. In addition, the dead branches and seriously diseased and insect-infested branches of the potted orange tree need to be pruned away, and all of them need to be pruned off from the base, which can promote better growth of the plant.

Tips for Pruning Potted Orange Trees

In order to make the potted orange tree have a beautiful shape and bear more fruits, you can choose to cut off the dead branches, diseased and insect-infested branches, overcrowded branches and leggy branches of the plant, retaining 3 to 4 strong and evenly distributed branches of the first year, and only need to leave 2 to 3 buds at the base of each branch, and cut off the rest.

Orange tree pruning grows fast

If you want a potted orange tree to grow fast, you need to make the middle and lower parts of the long branches bare. For the long branches, except for the parts that must be retained, the other parts should be cut off from the base. It is best to remove them in time when they are young buds or tender shoots to avoid consuming nutrients.

Orange tree pruning and flowering

If you want potted orange trees to bloom, you need to prune them in time before flowering, prune off the branches and leaves that grow too densely, and also prune off the branches that grow too long to promote flowering.

Pruning orange trees to get more fruit

If you want your potted orange tree to bear more fruit, it is best to prune it after it blooms, usually about 50 days after the second branch pruning. Lightly top the secondary shoots to promote the growth of neat summer and autumn shoots to expand the crown.

Things to note when pruning potted orange trees

When pruning potted orange trees, you need to pay attention to the fact that pruning cannot be done casually. It needs to be done according to your needs. If you want the plant to have a good shape, you also need to prune it frequently. After pruning, you also need to pay attention to proper watering and fertilizing to ensure the normal growth of the plant.